Adjustable lock keeper



April 6, 1948.

J. A. BOHNSACK ADJUSTABLE LOCK KEEPER Filed Jan. 25, 1946 a5 22 as :0

HmmiiliiiiliiiiiliiiiiiiHiiiiilimHH mmnn Patented Apr. 6, 1948 ADJUSTABLE LOCK KEEPER John A. Bohnsack, Waynesboro, Va'., assignor to Hopeman Bros=., Inc., New York, N. Y.,. a corporation: of Delaware Application January 25 1946, Serial No. 643,274

. 8 Glaims.

1 This invention relates to keeper devices for door locks and latches and; more particularly, to

devices comprising adjustable strike meansadapted to be variably positioned to accommodate the position of the lock bolt, one object of the invention being to provide an improved device of the above character having a more simple; practical and efficient construction.

Another object is to provide such a device havi'ng adjustable strike meanscapable of being more accurately adjusted to: more precisely correspond with the position of the bolt and hold the bolt and door against rattling.

Another object is to supply a lock keeper having the: above advantages and so" constructed as to positively resist movement by contact with the bolt and thus maintain its desiredposition of adjustment.

A further object is: to provide such a keeper in a construction comprising relatively few parts, of simpleform, adapted to be' economically manuiactured and conveniently adjusted in use;

To these and other'ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of par-ts, all as will be hereinafter more; ifully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front View of a lock keeper embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly'broken away and in section; to better illustrate the adjustable strike means;

Fig. 3 is arrend elevation;

Fig. 4 is asectional elevation on the line la4a in Fig; 2

Fig; 5 is a front View of the strike member detached:

Fig. 6 is an end elevatiorr of the strike: member;

Fig. '7 is a front view of the plate forming part of the means for adjusting the strike member, and

Fig. 8 is -a sectionatplan view oirtlie Knew-8a in Fig. 2.

The preferredembodiment of the invention herein disclosed; by way' of illustration, comprises a main or attaching member having a plane elongated" face plate' It; formed with an opening I I for a-lock-ing bolt and also with a-latch bolt opening:- l2- to which the adjustable strike means of th e-inventionis applied in the present instance. Face plate It is formed also with a countersunk opening I3 at each end for the reception of screws for securing. the same to the jamb: of a door frame; as well understood in the art.

Face plate H! of the attaching member is provided on each side with a rearwardly extending flange 1-4, as shown, and, opposite the latching bolt opening l2, these flanges have brazed thereto a bottom wall It connecting and bracing the flanges andserving; as abase to which the strike member is adjustably secured by the means hereafter described. By this arrangement the at-. tachirrg. member is provided at the latch bolt opening with .a rigid box-like frame construction in which the means for adjusting the strike member are supported and. housed.

The strike means preferably comprises a plate [5' of angular shape, having a strike lip I l proj ecting beyond the plate Hi for engagement with the latch bolt. Lip IT lies in the plane of the attachingplated-ll and is slidably received in a recess [-8 formed by cutting away a portion of the plate l0 opposite its opening l2. inwardly of the flange M the strike plate [6 is turned rearwardly, as at 13, and formed. with a channel-shaped portion 20, the base 2| of which rests upon the rear or bottom wall l5 of the attaching member. The base section 2! is formed with a pair of spaced, parallel slots, 22 extending in the direction of movement of the lock to and from striking engagement, transverse to the face of plate It and its opening [2, these-slots receiving a. pair of spaced abutments, preferably in the form of screws 23, with fillister headaengaged in threaded openings in the bottom wall I5, as shown. The slots 22 provide for adjustment of the strike plate l6 transversely of the face plate It, to adjust the plate portion !9 for engaging and retaining the bolt in the closed position of the door and the strike member may be clamped in such adjusted position in the attaching member by turning home the screws 23.

The invention comprises means for adjiustably positioning the strike member in the attaching member with a high degree of precision, to which end a fiat plate 24 is closely and slidably fitted within the channel portion 20 of the strike plate, as shown. Plate 24 is formed with a pair of spaced, parallel slots, 25, extending at an inclination to the directional slots 22 and preferably making a substantial acute angle with such direction, as shown. Slots 25 receive the screws 23, with plate 24 lying under the heads of the screws, so as to be clamped thereby, along with the strike plate, when the screws are turned home.

Plate 24, with the inclined slots 25, serves as a means for both accurately adjusting the strike plate It to suit the position of the latching bolt and for positively locking the strike plate in adjusted position. This is accomplished by inclining slots 25 to the slots 22 of the strike plate H5, at an acute angle of substantial size, so that the direction of the slots 25 is mainly transverse to the direction of the slots 22. An angle of, say, 70, for example, as indicated in Fig. 7, has been found satisfactory for this purpose. In such an arrangement, with screws 23 unscrewed to release the parts, a small longitudinal adjustment of plate 24 in its channel guide in the strike plate, produces a reduced and slight movement of the strike plate in the direction of its slots 22, so as to efiect very slight adjustments and precise positioning of the strike plate.

Furthermore, as a result of the substantial inclination of slots 25 to a direction extending transversely of the face plate Hi and its bolt opening l2, any impacts or pressure of the latching bolt against the strike member and the plate 24 carried thereby, is applied against the screws 23 in a direction which is mainly transverse to the sides of the slots 25 and so nearly perpendicular thereto as to produce no substantial tendency to shift the plate 24 in a longitudinal direction, thereby maintaining the parts in adjusted position.

In operation, to adjust the strike member I6 for close engagement with the latch bolt in the closed position of the door, screws 23 are loosened and plate 24 is engaged by any suitable tool, to shift it longitudinally, in one direction or the other, and thereby efiect a reduced shifting of the strike plate [6 toward the desired bolt engaging position. The strike plate may thus be precisely adjusted to proper position for closely engaging the bolt and holding the bolt and the door against rattling. With the parts adjusted to such position and the screws 23 turned home and tightened, the parts are clamped and positively locked in such position against shiftingiunder engagement by the latching bolt.

A look keeper such as described comprises but few parts, of simple and strong construction and capable of being manufactured at a relatively low cost and the device is adapted to be readily applied to a door frame and conveniently adjusted from time to time to maintain it in eiiicient working adjustment.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects and while it has been herein disclosed by reference to the dtails of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such disclosure is intended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, as it is contemplated that various modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable lock keeper comprising an attaching member formed with a bolt receiving opening, a strike member adjustably mounted on said attaching member, one of said members having an abutment and the other of said members being formed with a slot receiving said abutment with said slot extending in a direction transverse to said opening to provide for adjustment of said strike member relative to said bolt, and a locking part engaging. said other member and formed with a slot receiving said abutment, said locking part slot being inclined to said direction and said 4 part being movable to adjust said strike member in said direction and normally securing said strike member against movement by said bolt.

2. An adjustable lock keeper comprising an attaching member formed with a bolt receiving opening, a strike member adjustably mounted on said attaching member, a screw threadedly engaged in one of said members, the other of said members being formed with a slot receiving said screw with said slot extending in a direction transverse to said opening to provide for adjustment of said strike member relative to said bolt, and'a locking part engaging said other member and formed with a slot receiving said screw, said locking part slot being inclined to said direction and said part being movable to adjust said strike member in said direction and being normally clamped in adjusted position by said screw to lock said strike member against movement by said bolt.

' 3. An adjustable lock keeper comprising an attaching member formed with a bolt receiving opening, a strike member adjustably mounted on said attaching member, a screw threadedly engaged in said attaching member, said strike member being formed with a slot receiving saidscrew with said slot extending in a direction transverse to said opening to provide for adjustment of said strike member relative to said bolt, and a locking part engaging'said strike member and formed with a slot receiving said screw, said locking part slot being inclined to said direction and said part being movable to adjust said strike member in said direction and being normally clamped by said screw to lock said strike member against movement by said bolt.

4. An adjustable lock keeper comprising an attaching plate formed with a bolt receiving opening, a strike plate mounted on said attaching plate at said opening thereof, a plurality of screws threadedly engaged in said attaching plate, said strike plate being formed with a plurality of slots receiving said screws with said slots extending in a direction transverse to said opening to provide for adjustment of said strike plate relative to said bolt, and a locking plate mounted on said strike plate and formed with a plurality of slots receiving said screws, said locking plate slots being inclined to said direction and said looking plate being movable to adjust said strike plate in said direction and being normally clamped by said screws in adjusted position for locking said strike plate against movement by said bolt.

5. An adjustable lock keeper comprising an attaching plate having a portion of box-like construction formed on its face with a bolt receiving opening and with a bottom wall :below said opening, a strike plate having a portion extending into said opening and adjustably mounted on said bottom wall, said strike plate being formed with a plurality of slots extending in a direction transverse to said opening for adjusting the position of said strike plate to said bolt, screws extending through said slots and engaged in said bottom wall, and a locking plate slidably mounted on said strike plate and formed with a plurality of slots receiving said screws, said locking plate taching member, a strike member adjustably mounted on said attaching member and having a portion of channel shape, a plurality of screws threadedly engaged in said attaching member, said strike member being formed with a plurality of slots receiving said screws with said slots extending in a direction transverse to said opening to provide for adjustment of said strike member relative to said bolt, and a locking part mounted for sliding adjustment in said channel portion'of said strike member and formed with a plurality of slots receiving said screws, said locking part slots being inclined to said direction and said part being adjustable in said channel portion to adjust said strike member in said direction and being normally clamped by said screws to lock said strike member against movement by said bolt.

7. An adjustable lock keeper comprising an attaching plate formed with a bolt receiving opening, a strike plate mounted on said attaching plate with a part extending into said opening and havinga portion of channel shape, a plurality of screws threadedly engaged in said attaching plate, said strike plate being formed with a plurality of slots receiving said screws with said slots extending in a direction transverse to said opening to provide for adjustment of said strike plate relative to said bolt, and a locking plate mounted for sliding adjustment in said channel portion of said strike plate and formed with a plurality of slots receiving said screws, said locking plate slots being inclined at an acute angle to said direction and said locking plate being adjustable in said channel portion to adjust said strike plate in said direc- 35 tion and being normally clamped by said screws in adjrusted position for locking said strike plate against movement by said bolt.

8. An adjustable lock keeper comprising an attaching plate having a portion of box-like construction formed on its face with a bolt receiving opening and with a bottom wall below said opening, a strike plate having a lip part and a part extending into said opening and having a portion of channel shape mounted on said bottom wall, said channel portion being formed with a plurality of slots extending in a direction transverse to said opening for adjusting the position of said strike plate to said bolt, screws extending through said slots and engaged in said bottom wall, and a locking plate mounted for sliding adjustment in said channel portion and formed with a plurality of slots receiving said screws, said locking plate slots being inclined at an acute angle to said direction and said locking plate being adjustable in said channel portion to adjust said strike plate in said direction and being normally clamped in adjusted position by said screws to lock said strike plate against movement by said bolt.

JOHN A. BO I-INSACK.

7 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 890,613 Cuff 1 June 16, 1908 2,231,414 Model Feb. 11, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date France Oct. 13, 1925 

